Karnataka CM puts officials on drought alert, announces Rs 1 crore aid for each taluk

Bengaluru: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday directed ministers, deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs and other district officials to remain on round-the-clock duty as Karnataka braces for a possible drought, warning that negligence in relief measures would invite strict action.

Announcing an immediate allocation of Rs 1 crore for every taluk to ensure drinking water supply, the chief minister said the funds would be released without delay. Addressing deputy commissioners and zilla panchayat CEOs through a videoconference, he instructed officials to ensure that farmers do not suffer because of administrative lapses.

"No farmer should suffer because of your apathy. There are no weekend holidays. Ministers and deputy commissioners must work 24x7," Shivakumar said, adding that any slackness in drought management would not be tolerated.


He asked officials to prioritise drinking water supply, fodder for livestock, crop insurance claims and borewell drilling in water-scarce rural areas.

Calling for preparedness to tackle an emerging drought situation, the chief minister said the government would verify official reports with field-level assessments. "We are not here to see paperwork. Data and statistics will be cross-checked with the ground reality. Do not furnish unverified numbers," he said.

Shivakumar said Karnataka was facing a severe rainfall deficit, with sowing covering only 32% of the targeted area. Around 82% of the state's districts, barring five or six, had recorded deficient rainfall, he added.

With reservoir levels approaching dead storage, drinking water would remain the government's top priority, he said. Officials were asked to undertake field visits regularly and report the ground situation. He also warned against irregularities in drought relief works, including duplicate billing or fresh claims for borewells that had already been drilled.

The chief minister directed the Revenue, Energy, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), and Water Resources departments to work in coordination to mitigate the impact of the drought.

He also said central teams would soon visit drought-affected areas for assessment and asked district administrations to keep verified data ready for inspection.